Intravenous pumping air management systems and methods

Abstract

An intravenous (“IV”) liquid delivery system includes: an IV pump tubing set; a shuttle pump or membrane pump actuator operable with the IV pump tubing set; upstream and downstream valve actuators operable with the IV pump tubing set; the IV pump tubing set including an air removal device; an air detector configured to sense air in the IV pump tubing set; a control unit configured and arranged to (i) open the upstream valve actuator and close the downstream valve actuator to allow the pump actuator to draw liquid into a pump actuation portion of the IV pump tubing set, and (ii) close the upstream valve actuator and open the downstream valve actuator to allow the pump actuator to push liquid out of the pump actuation portion, the system configured to attempt to remove the air via the air removal device while operating the upstream and downstream valve actuators according to (i) and (ii).

1. An intravenous (“IV”) liquid delivery system comprising:
 an IV pump tubing set including an upstream valve portion, a downstream valve portion, and a pump portion located between the upstream valve portion and the downstream valve portion; 
 a pump actuator operable with the pump portion of the IV pump tubing set; 
 an air removal device located upstream of the pump actuator, the air removal device including a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, an air collection portion, and a liquid collection portion located adjacent to the liquid outlet, and wherein the air collection portion of the air removal device includes an air passing but liquid retaining filter and a check valve in air flow communication with the air passing but liquid retaining filter; and 
 an air detector located downstream from the air removal device and upstream of the upstream valve portion. 
 
     
     
       2. The IV liquid delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the filter is a hydrophobic filter. 
     
     
       3. The IV liquid delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid collection portion includes a liquid passing but air retainer filter. 
     
     
       4. The IV liquid delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the IV pump tubing set is configured to be mounted such that the air collection portion is located elevationally above the liquid collection portion. 
     
     
       5. The IV liquid delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the air removal device includes a housing having a larger cross-sectional area than that of a tube of the IV pump tubing set. 
     
     
       6. The IV liquid delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the air removal device is provided as part of the IV pump tubing set. 
     
     
       7. The IV liquid delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the air detector is a first air detector and which includes a second air detector, the first air detector located downstream of the air removal device, and the second air detector located downstream of the downstream valve portion. 
     
     
       8. The IV liquid delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the system further includes upstream and downstream valve actuators operable with the pump actuator to move liquid through the IV pump tubing set. 
     
     
       9. The IV liquid delivery system of  claim 1 , wherein the air removal device is located upstream of the upstream valve portion. 
     
     
       10. An intravenous (“IV”) liquid delivery system comprising:
 a pump actuator; and 
 an IV pump tubing set including:
 an upstream valve portion, 
 a downstream valve portion, 
 a pump portion operable with the pump actuator and located between the upstream valve portion and the downstream valve portion, 
 an air removal device located upstream of the pump actuator, the air removal device including a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, an air collection portion, and a liquid collection portion located adjacent to the liquid outlet, and wherein the air collection portion of the air removal device includes an air passing but liquid retaining filter and a check valve in air flow communication with the air passing but liquid retaining filter, and the liquid collection portion includes a liquid passing but air retaining filter; and 
 an air detector located downstream from the air removal device and upstream of the upstream valve portion. 
 
 
     
     
       11. An intravenous (“IV”) liquid delivery system comprising:
 an IV pump tubing set; 
 a pump actuator operable with the IV pump tubing set; 
 an upstream valve actuator operable with the IV pump tubing set upstream of the pump actuator; 
 an air detector located upstream of the upstream valve actuator; 
 a downstream valve actuator operable with the IV pump tubing set downstream of the pump actuator; and 
 an air purge valve actuator operable with the IV pump tubing set downstream of the downstream valve actuator, 
 wherein the IV pump tubing set further includes a bypass recirculation line extending from a point located between the downstream valve actuator and the air purge valve actuator to a point in the IV pump tubing set upstream of the air detector, and wherein upon a detection of air in a medical fluid by the air detector, the air purge valve actuator is closed and the pump actuator, the upstream valve actuator and the downstream valve actuator are operated to recirculate the medical fluid using the bypass recirculation line to purge air from the medical fluid. 
 
     
     
       12. The IV liquid delivery system of  claim 11 , wherein the bypass recirculation line extends to a supply of the medical fluid for the IV pump tubing set. 
     
     
       13. The IV liquid delivery system of  claim 11 , wherein the bypass recirculation line is in fluid communication with an air removal device to purge air from the medical fluid. 
     
     
       14. An intravenous (“IV”) liquid delivery system comprising:
 an IV pump tubing set; 
 a shuttle pump or membrane pump actuator operable with the IV pump tubing set; 
 an upstream valve actuator operable with the IV pump tubing set; 
 a downstream valve actuator operable with the IV pump tubing set; 
 the IV pump tubing set including an air removal device; 
 an air detector configured to sense air in the IV pump tubing set; the air detector located upstream of the upstream valve actuator; 
 a control unit configured and arranged to (i) open the upstream valve actuator and close the downstream valve actuator to allow the pump actuator to draw liquid into a pump actuation portion of the IV pump tubing set, and (ii) close the upstream valve actuator and open the downstream valve actuator to allow the pump actuator to push liquid out of the pump actuation portion; and wherein the IV pump tubing set further includes a bypass recirculation line extending from a point located downstream from the downstream valve actuator to a point in the IV pump tubing set upstream of the air detector; and 
 wherein the system is configured to attempt to remove the air via the air removal device while operating the upstream and downstream valve actuators according to (i) and (ii). 
 
     
     
       15. The IV liquid delivery system of  claim 14 , wherein the air removal device is located (a) upstream of the upstream valve actuator or (b) downstream of the pump actuator. 
     
     
       16. The IV liquid delivery system of  claim 14 , which includes an air purge valve actuator located downstream of the downstream valve actuator, the control unit further configured to receive a signal from the air detector indicative of air in the IV pump tubing set and close the air purge valve actuator to attempt to remove the air via the air removal device while operating the upstream and downstream valve actuators according to (i) and (ii).